Ryan

I loved this for most of the way through - Akbar's writing is poetic and existential, reminiscent of Dostoevsky at some points, and Palahniuk at others. You could really feel the depths of Cyrus's suffering and depression.

The twist ending felt like a cheat, and completely out of place for the story that Akbar set up in the first 80% of the story. It really affected my ability to enjoy the whole story.

Pure pulpy goodness, mixing hard-boiled detective storytelling with Lovecraftian horror.

This was a really fascinating idea and, as expected, Sawyer not only explores it in interesting ways but also manages to balance it with interesting interpersonal conflict. It's one of those novellas that you really wish was fleshed out into a full novel, though - the ideas present deserve more explanation!

This was theoretically the kind of book that I should have loved, but for whatever reason it just never clicked for me.

Confession time - I've never read the Count of Monte Cristo, so I can't judge how faithful this sci-fi reimagining of it was. This was an incredibly engaging story about colonialism, spaceships, and self-(re)discovery. And for that I loved it dearly.

This was a delightful, irreverent reimagination of Romeo and Juliet. North's humour reveals a true love of Shakespeare, and the nature of the book encourages you to think about the text in a new way.

This was a really interesting insight into the mind of Canada's newest Prime Minister. Hopefully Mark Carney the politician can live up to the ideals that Mark Carney the man professes to hold.

This was my book club's pick for March and that's the only reason I finished it. Did not find any of the characters or their circumstances engaging or interesting at all.

This was an incredibly powerful read. Trey is an interesting, flawed yet idealistic character, and his coming of age against the backdrop of the AIDS crisis was very moving. Despite being fiction, this feels like a powerful historical document of the zeitgeist of the 1980s. Some of the historical cameos were a little overwrought, but not in a way that took away from the narrative or the themes.

This was a nice fill-in fic to show where Ahsoka was between the end of the Clone Wars cartoon and her reappearance in Rebels. Having listened to the audiobook, hearing Ashley Eckstein narrate the story was really nice as well.

If you're not a dedicated fan of Star Wars in general, and Clone Wars specifically, this probably would not be an enjoyable read. This is meant to be connective tissue, and it does that job well, but someone not already well-versed in the story would find it almost incomprehensible at times.

Some books are interesting because of their plot, engaging characters, or because of unique insight the author has. This is not one of those books. HOWEVER, I would still defend it as an interesting read for the thoughts and conversations it sparks about the value of work and how we define it, what it means for someone to have "value" to society, and the complicated obligations that our relationships with each other create. By doing nothing Morimoto becomes a mirror through which we can study each other.

I've always liked the idea of Red Sonja as this badass warrior lady, but I never really would have considered myself a big fan of her. Reading this has definitely changed that opinion - Simone's exploration of Sonja's background does a great job of grounding her in reality, while also presenting a deeply fantastical story. That combination of sweet and savoury makes for an incredibly engaging story. The audiobook performance by Felicia Day adds a great additional layer to the story as well.

This is a strong, bold, scary look at mental illness, isolation, indigenous culture, and the struggles of motherhood. Objectively, it is a very well written book.

Subjectively, this was not the book for me.

I, too, enjoyed the film BODIES BODIES BODIES. This is just that, but in a library.

There are a lot of interesting plot points here, and a lot to think about. It's a well-written book. I didn't find myself connecting to any of the characters in it, however, and that limited my ability to enjoy it.

I found this one to be a bit of a mixed bag, but overall it was a fun read. Meddy felt a weak as a protagonist, but the supporting cast was strong and interesting enough that they made up for it. I loved the dark humour and the contrast of the glitz and glamour of the wedding with the murder and its coverup.

I found the ending disappointing - everything felt wrapped up way too easily and quickly, and the lesbian romance reveal felt unearned.

I love Terry Pratchett and I love Macbeth, so this was a pretty obvious love for me 🙂

This was an adorable, lighthearted read that had just enough depth and character to it to remain interesting. Great subversion of a lot of fantasy/D&D tropes done in a loving way.

I spent 14 years in Catholic schools and studied Religion and Culture at university for 4 years. If I had to pick one book to explain western religion to someone who'd never heard of it, this is the book that I would use.

"That which makes the most sense makes no sense", Dick writes in this, and that koan represents the heart of VALIS. At times it is inexplicable and nonsensical, but in a way that unveils the unknowable. I loved the experience of having read this book.

This was a delightful read, which really illustrates the strength of Pratchett's writing - his good-natured humour and joie de vivre really carry what would have been an otherwise average story.

This was a delightful, cozy little read. The characters were warm and well-rounded, and seeing them deal with the complexities of their lives was rewarding.

We needed more Marcellus, though! He's presented as a major character and an interesting perspective in the early part of the book, and then mostly disappears in the third act. I think it would have improved the narrative to see more of it from the octopus's eyes.

This was a very ambitious novella. It tries to explore UBI and the arguments around it, while also trying to support multiple narratives and create an interesting four-act structure. I'm not sure it succeeds in any of its goals. I think I would have enjoyed it more if it had been either a full-length novel (to better explore all the perspectives contained within), or if it focused on the stronger narratives (Hannah and Janelle's, specifically).

This is an absolute must-read for anyone interested in grunge or music in the early 90s. It's full of interviews and stories from your favourite bands, bands you haven't thought about in 20 years, and ones you probably haven't even heard of.

Beyond that, it's also a fascinating look at the perils of fame and success, and the challenges associated with having your wildest dreams come true. We see how that can absolutely destroy lives, estrange friendships, but also give people a platform to speak to the world.

This was a really interesting collection. The Dominion War was such an important part of Deep Space 9, but we really only got to see one front line of it. This anthology broadens our perspective to show us what was happening in other parts of the galaxy during that conflict, and in doing so really helps us to understand the size and scope of it.